Canastota in Madison County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Erie Canal

Historic New York

Photographed by William J. Toman, June 14, 2017

1. The Erie Canal Marker

Inscription. Construction of the Erie Canal was hailed as the greatest engineering accomplishment to that time. Under the leadership of Governor De Witt Clinton, construction began July 4, 1817. With little technical knowledge, thousands of workers surveyed, blasted and dug a 365-mile canal across the State. They hewed through solid rock and dug in marshes; they erected aqueducts to carry the canal over rivers and valleys; and they built 83 locks to take the canal over changes in ground level. When completed in October, 1825. the Erie connected Albany and Buffalo and became the main route between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes.

Passenger and freight barges crowded the canal. Western New York flourished with new, cheap transportation. The Erie Canal also hastened development of the Mid-West. Success of the Erie stimulated enlargement of the original canal in the 1840's and construction of additional canals. More than 500 miles of canals connected the Erie to other sections of New York State. After the 1870's, canal transportation declined and many canals closed. The Erie was modernized in 1918 as part of the State Barge Canal System consisting of the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca Canals.

Erected 1963 by State Education Department.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed

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in these topic lists: Man-Made Features • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Erie Canal, and the Historic New York State series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is July 4, 1764.

Location. 43° 5.75′ N, 75° 50.513′ W. Marker is in Canastota, New York, in Madison County. It is on NYS Thruway (U.S. 90) 4 miles west of N Peterboro Street (New York State Route 13). Marker is at a Thruway Rest area and faces away from the Thruway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Canastota NY 13032, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York,

specifically in Central New York,

and in the Syracuse Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Canal Industry (approx. 2.7 miles away); Canaseraga (approx. 2.8 miles away); A Cannery at the Crosswaters (approx. 2.9 miles away); A Busy, Bustling Boatyard (approx. 2.9 miles away); Feeding the Canal (approx. 2.9 miles away); Dry Docks: Canal Service Centers (approx. 2.9 miles away); Chittenango Rotary Club (approx. 2.9 miles away); Lateral Canal (approx. 3.8 miles away).

Photographed by William J. Toman, June 14, 2017

2. The Erie Canal Marker

The marker is to the right of the service plaza building.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 21, 2017. It was originally submitted on May 3, 2013, by Yugoboy of Rochester, New York. This page has been viewed 801 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 21, 2017, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.